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Advice please on Landscaping
We want to landscape our back yard. It's about 6 x 8 metres, plus a pathway down the side of the house. It's mostly concrete and bricks. We've had a design done, and to remove concrete, lay decking and grass, pave down the side and planting, we've been quoted $20k. So expensive. Now, would you go for it knowing that it's all done in one go, or would you get someone in to remove the concrete (as that's the hardest bit) and try and do the rest of it yourself. Baring in mind it'll take longer, but will probably be cheaper? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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Re: Advice please on Landscaping
I have renovated a lot of our places and can say it does take a lot of your time. Also, unless you are really skilled in the tasks, you'll find that you don't quite get the quality finish a time served tradesman can achieve. (so long as you keep your eye on them and make sure they do what you ask...;) )
Yes, it is expensive, but you'll find a lot of that is materials. I'm guessing at least $10k for pavers, base material, timber and associated parts. Removing costs for concrete also not cheap. At the end of it you're probably trying to save about $5k in going diy. Are you any good, do you have the time (lots of it) the right tools and equipment (eg trailer, digging tools, cutting tools for stone + wood, leveling, mixing, fixing and plenty of other odd jobs Hiring stuff isn't cheap either. I'm not a tradie or supporting any, but I have done enough of my own to say sometimes it's just easier to get it paid for and let someone else do all the hard graft. |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Would probably be worthwhile getting a couple more quotes as $20k is a lot of money. Also get references from the landscaper for other jobs that they've done.
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Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by jannyb
(Post 9521332)
We want to landscape our back yard. It's about 6 x 8 metres, plus a pathway down the side of the house. It's mostly concrete and bricks. We've had a design done, and to remove concrete, lay decking and grass, pave down the side and planting, we've been quoted $20k. So expensive. Now, would you go for it knowing that it's all done in one go, or would you get someone in to remove the concrete (as that's the hardest bit) and try and do the rest of it yourself. Baring in mind it'll take longer, but will probably be cheaper? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by jannyb
(Post 9521332)
We want to landscape our back yard. It's about 6 x 8 metres, plus a pathway down the side of the house. It's mostly concrete and bricks. We've had a design done, and to remove concrete, lay decking and grass, pave down the side and planting, we've been quoted $20k. So expensive. Now, would you go for it knowing that it's all done in one go, or would you get someone in to remove the concrete (as that's the hardest bit) and try and do the rest of it yourself. Baring in mind it'll take longer, but will probably be cheaper? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Where are you? |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by jannyb
(Post 9521332)
We want to landscape our back yard. It's about 6 x 8 metres, plus a pathway down the side of the house. It's mostly concrete and bricks. We've had a design done, and to remove concrete, lay decking and grass, pave down the side and planting, we've been quoted $20k. So expensive. Now, would you go for it knowing that it's all done in one go, or would you get someone in to remove the concrete (as that's the hardest bit) and try and do the rest of it yourself. Baring in mind it'll take longer, but will probably be cheaper? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Have you got much grass on the rest of your property? Is this to-be-landscaped area easy to get to with a lawn mower, i.e. continuous flow from rest of the lawn in other parts of your garden(s)? If not, you've got to think if it is worth the hassle mowing a tiny bit of lawn every weeked in the summer. I would be tempted to put pavers/rocks/mulch down instead. 6mx8m is not too big an area to landscape yourself unless you've got lots of decking to put in. But then if you ask my husband, he would probably just throw his hands up, work extra hours to pay for someone else to do the job. Mrs JTL |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
That sounds incredibly expensive. We got 40 metres of metre high retaining wall, about 70 sq m of paving (with all the base material and sealing), several 100 sq m of turf' lots of lorry loads of soil and roadbase, and all the earthworks and drainage for just over $30,000 about 5 years ago. I know prices have gone up but not that much.
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Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by Siren & Brian
(Post 9521806)
Sounds a bit high but can depend on type of paving, type and size of plants etc,
Where are you? |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by JackTheLad
(Post 9522015)
Look up "Concrete Breaking" in your area on the Yellow Pages and get a few quotes to help you decide if the quote for the whole job is too high.
Have you got much grass on the rest of your property? Is this to-be-landscaped area easy to get to with a lawn mower, i.e. continuous flow from rest of the lawn in other parts of your garden(s)? If not, you've got to think if it is worth the hassle mowing a tiny bit of lawn every weeked in the summer. I would be tempted to put pavers/rocks/mulch down instead. 6mx8m is not too big an area to landscape yourself unless you've got lots of decking to put in. But then if you ask my husband, he would probably just throw his hands up, work extra hours to pay for someone else to do the job. Mrs JTL |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by jannyb
(Post 9522174)
We're in Newport/Williamstown in Melbourne. The quote is $4k for demolition, $4.5k for decking, $3k for pavers, $1k for turf (there's a bit in the front aswell), $5k for planting, the rest is bits and pieces. I thought the decking was expensive as it's such a small area.
Get the demolition, site prep, paving and decking done by a tradie. (decking is more expensive than paving, as takes longer) |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by jannyb
(Post 9522174)
We're in Newport/Williamstown in Melbourne. The quote is $4k for demolition, $4.5k for decking, $3k for pavers, $1k for turf (there's a bit in the front aswell), $5k for planting, the rest is bits and pieces. I thought the decking was expensive as it's such a small area.
Demo $600 skip bin $3400 labour. How many days is it really going to take, maybe 1 for 2 people, so $1000 $1000 lawn. I would charge that much for 40m2 of Sir Walter Lawn which includes all the prep sand fertilizers. Decking and paving and plants well that all depends on amount size etc as I have said before. Pics and plans would help. |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by jannyb
(Post 9522179)
I thought about putting a bit of turf down so there is a child friendly bit for our 10 month old. You're right in that it would be such a small area to mow. Do you think mulch would be just as child friendly?
When we got the girls a trampoline last Christmas, we put under it some playground mulch ("pine softfall" from a local landscape supplies place) on top of weed mats (from Bunnings). The mulch is about $80 per cubic meter plus $30/delivery. We only need to pull out weeds occasionally. The kids don't care if it's mulch or grass, as long as they don't hurt themselves falling, but I love not having to mow under the trampoline. Mrs JTL |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Have pm'd you
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Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by ukecadet
(Post 9523624)
Have pm'd you
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Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by Siren & Brian
(Post 9523351)
Sounds high. if you were in Perth I could have quoted you.
Demo $600 skip bin $3400 labour. How many days is it really going to take, maybe 1 for 2 people, so $1000 $1000 lawn. I would charge that much for 40m2 of Sir Walter Lawn which includes all the prep sand fertilizers. Decking and paving and plants well that all depends on amount size etc as I have said before. Pics and plans would help. The decking area would probably be about 3x4m. 4x2m for grass. Then the plants would go in the rest of it. I would upload the plans but don't want to get into trouble for copyright or something. They don't give sizes though as we haven't proceeded with the quote yet. |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by jannyb
(Post 9524052)
Me? It's not come through. Can you try again. Ta.
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Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by jannyb
(Post 9524068)
It's probably my fault as I said we had a budget of $20k cos I had a preliminary quote by someone else who then seemed like he couldn't be bothered to do it. So that's how much I thought it would be. When he originally looked at it, he said it'll be more like $35-$40k but he could get it down to $20k.
The decking area would probably be about 3x4m. 4x2m for grass. Then the plants would go in the rest of it. I would upload the plans but don't want to get into trouble for copyright or something. They don't give sizes though as we haven't proceeded with the quote yet. |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by jannyb
(Post 9524068)
It's probably my fault as I said we had a budget of $20k cos I had a preliminary quote by someone else who then seemed like he couldn't be bothered to do it. So that's how much I thought it would be. When he originally looked at it, he said it'll be more like $35-$40k but he could get it down to $20k.
The decking area would probably be about 3x4m. 4x2m for grass. Then the plants would go in the rest of it. I would upload the plans but don't want to get into trouble for copyright or something. They don't give sizes though as we haven't proceeded with the quote yet. |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by jannyb
(Post 9524068)
It's probably my fault as I said we had a budget of $20k cos I had a preliminary quote by someone else who then seemed like he couldn't be bothered to do it. So that's how much I thought it would be. When he originally looked at it, he said it'll be more like $35-$40k but he could get it down to $20k.
The decking area would probably be about 3x4m. 4x2m for grass. Then the plants would go in the rest of it. I would upload the plans but don't want to get into trouble for copyright or something. They don't give sizes though as we haven't proceeded with the quote yet. One day I will get my lazy butt into gear and produce a website with my works. One day. |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
We've got the same garden dilemma...built a new house and garden was going to be the first task, it's now 9 months later and all we've managed to acheive is shifting some earth around. The garden has been de-weeded several times but we then get busy at work and the little beggars all grow back again.
One house down the road had an "instant" front garden, so our neighbour got a quote for her garden and OMG!!!!! All she wanted was small block retaining wall (the ones that just stack), some grass seed put down and then laid out using that wooden strip stuff, no plants, mulch or stones and she was quoted $11k! We need lots more than that to do so I reckon ours (we've designed it so just need muscle!) would be around $40k..mmmm. So looks like we'll have to get out there with the fork and shovel and DIY it. It's so hard as it keeps raining down here when we've got time off and then works comes up when it's nice so means garden isn't getting done, plus we're that bit older now and haven't quite got the enthusasim we had a few years ago for that type of tasks! Wish Alan Titchmarsh and the Ground Force crew could pay me a visit! |
Re: Advice please on Landscaping
Originally Posted by jannyb
(Post 9522174)
$5k for planting
Getting 2-3 cubic metres of good quality compost and 1 cubic metre of cypress mulch from the landscape will cost you about $300 including delivery. It'll be hard to spend over $1000 on plants at the market. You'll suffer a bit of back pain, but Panadol for Back and Neck pain is only a few dollars a packet! :) Just some thoughts. Mrs JTL |
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